


Wrong About You

by oddbottleofink



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, This was supposed to be minor angst, nope - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 08:32:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12527264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oddbottleofink/pseuds/oddbottleofink
Summary: Ethan realized that he and Luke were polar opposites.





	Wrong About You

**Author's Note:**

> For the sake of the story, I made it so that Ethan is only one year younger than Luke.

Ethan had moved to Westport, Connecticut when he was 5. He had met Luke soon after. Luke Castellan was an energetic, bright blue-eyed 7-year old that Ethan lived across from. Ethan admired Luke, a lot. It was probably because Luke was such a free spirit. Ethan's mother had planned out his life from the start and Ethan didn't dare argue. Luke didn't care that much about school and cared more relaxing and playing in the parks. May Castellan was what Ethan wished his mother was like. Well, he did. That was until May just...changed. Ethan couldn't explain it. Her eyes seemed glossed over constantly. And instead of welcoming Ethan into their home with open arms, she just stared at him until snapping out of it and giving a small hello. Ethan knew it affected Luke because of the year after it happened, Luke ran away.  It was for 2 weeks and during those 2 weeks, Ethan was worried sick. He refused to tell his mother because Ethan knew fully what happened to kids who ran away, they got in big trouble. Luke returned, with a scar across his left eye. Luke acted like nothing happened. Ethan always asked about the scar but Luke ignored the question and talked about how  _exciting_ it was to run away. It got Ethan curious. He was well aware of the trouble he could get in but he asked anyway:

"Luke? Do you think I could come with you next time?" Ethan asked. They were in Luke's bedroom, playing with toy cars. 

Luke's face changed for a second. His face went from being relaxed to terrified. "Eth, you don't wanna go. You should stay home, it's better-"

"You were talking about how fun it was!" Ethan protested. 

"I lied" Luke muttered, fingers tapping nervously against the gold car he was holding. "I didn't go by choice, some bad people told me to go".

Ethan became concerned again, why were bad people talking to Luke? "They told me to run away for a bit. They would've hurt me if I didn't". Luke's brow furrowed, "they said they would ask you to go if I didn't".

"What?" Ethan stammered, heart, pounding against his chest. Maybe he should tell his mom, this sounds pretty serious. "Should I tell my mom? She works with the good guys".

"No!" Luke whispered, gripping Ethan's wrist tightly. "Don't worry Eth, I will protect you".

"What if they go after other people though?" 

"They won't as long I do what they ask okay?".

And Ethan, being the naive kid he was, believed him. 

Luke stopped running once he turned 11. Ethan figured out the real reason he was running; Luke was scared of May. Ethan didn't blame him. 

* * *

Ethan was in 8th grade, a straight A student and in his school's Pre-Law academy, just as his mother had planned. Luke was in high school, a regular kid receiving regular grades. Or that's what Luke tells him because Ethan had never seen Luke on the high school campus. Ethan was rambling about how the high school he wanted to go into had a fantastic a Law Academy and how he hoped he would get accepted when Luke stopped walking. 

"Ethan, if you keep talking about that damn school I will jump off this bridge" Luke warned. Ethan rolled his eyes. 

"Fine" Ethan sighed. "What about you though Luke? What are you going to do after high school?" 

"I-Eth, I barely started high school, how do you expect me to know what I am going to do after?" Luke groaned. 

"You must have some idea". Ethan was right, Luke did have a semi-plan. Luke wanted to become a novelist an idea that Ethan was more than wary of. Luke's writings were fantastic but it wasn't a stable profession. "Do you know what college you are going to?".

Luke bit his bottom lip and the words that came out were rushed, "I didn't go Eth".

Ethan stared at him for a minute, wondering if this was a joke or not. "What do you mean?". Luke was always a jokester but this didn't seem like a joke. 

"I mean I never enrolled for high school Ethan, I have just been working". Luke said. "Before you go off on a tangent, I have my reasons okay? I just don't see the point"

"That's not a reason Luke! If you don't go to high school- Luke you just potentially ruined your entire future.". 

"I know, just let me figure things out and then I will enroll".

Ethan stared at Luke in worry. Luke was always a bit on the wild side, him running away constantly should have been telling enough. Ethan took a deep breath and just nodded. They continued their walk to Ethan's house in silence. Ethan's thoughts were running wild. None of this made sense. It wasn't like Luke needed to work because of financial reasons, he was well off. For reasons Ethan never figured out. May stopped working a while ago and Luke's father was never around. Why wouldn't Luke see the point of high school?

"Later Eth, don't overwork yourself" Luke called out and walked across the street to his own house. Ethan nodded and opened his door. He realized that he and Luke were still polar opposites: he cared about school while Luke couldn't give a shit.

* * *

Luke started running away again. For much longer intervals of time. Luke could be gone for months at a time. Ethan tried to ignore the fear in his mind. What if Luke got hurt? What if he got arrested? What if he was killed? Was Luke going to return? Did he want to come back? 

Ethan's was awoken by a small knocking at his balcony door. It was 1:34 A.M and Ethan had a huge Geometry test first period. He ignored the knocking for a second before a thought rushed into his mind:  _What if it's Luke?_. That's all it took for Ethan to bolt out of bed and look towards the knock. He was correct. Luke was standing there Ethan ignored his mind screaming that he would fail the test if he stayed up any longer and unlocked the door.

"Hey" Luke whispered. This was the man that just left Ethan for 3 months with no warning and all he had to say was "hey"? "How are you?

"'Hey yourself'" Ethan hissed. "Where have you been for the past 3 months?".

"Traveling" Luke replied, giving that charming smile-damn him. "Mind letting me in, it's freezing out here".

It was 1:40 A.M and Ethan was sitting on the floor with Luke talking about where he had been. "I am sorry for not telling you but it was just- the people told me that-".

"Don't give me that bullshit Luke, I am not 5" Ethan snapped. 

Luke grimaced, "it was an impulse Eth, I didn't know what I was doing until I was on a bus heading to Virginia".

"You can't keep on doing this shit Luke, what if something happens to you?" Ethan mumbled. 

"Nothing has".

"Yet".

"How is school going?" Luke asked, eyes scanning the room. Was this jerk really trying to change the subject? That quickly! Ethan has been pacing in his rooms worried about his childhood friend. Ethan eyed the scar on Lukes' eye again.

"It's going great," Ethan said, "now mind telling me how you got that scar mister 'nothing has happened'?"

"That was years ago".

"Still".

"Jeez Nakamura, still as stubborn as always" Luke breathed. "I got into a fight, simple as that".

"They could have killed you" Ethan groaned. 

Luke bit back a comment. "Well, they didn't".

Ethan flinched, Luke's tone was bitter a tone Ethan never grew fond of. "Luke, just stay safe okay? Don't start doing shit that can fuck you up long-term okay?".

Luke smirked, "not making any promises."

Ethan and Luke were still polar opposites: Ethan had his entire life planned out and Luke was throwing the life he had to the wind.

* * *

 

The next time Ethan saw Luke was at a gas station. Blonde hair a mess, blue eyes dull with bags under them and clothes dirty and tattered. Ethan felt his throat tighten. What happened to him? It had been over a year, and Ethan contemplated putting Luke as missing for a bit. Ethan was in the middle of 9th grade. Ethan walked up to Luke cautiously, the boy looked so fragile that Luke would shatter at any touch.

"Luke?" Ethan said, voice wavering slightly.

Luke's head turned, and Ethan felt his throat tighten, even more, it was getting way too difficult to breathe. His lips were cacked with blood and his face was hollow. "Hey Eth" his voice was rough and scratchy and Ethan could smell, faintly, smoke. 

"What- what happened to you?" Ethan managed to get out. This felt too surreal. 

"Ah, it's nothing Eth, just a little bump in the road" Luke croaked and cleared his throat. "I heard you graduated with honors, congratulations."

"Yeah, that doesn't matter right now" Ethan trailed off. His eyes were scanning Luke and he pointed out a million things wrong. Luke was well over 6ft tall and by the looks of his body, Luke must have been severely underweight. Luke's eyes were glossy and it reminded Ethan of how May looked. The croaky voice and the smell of smoke...Ethan ignored that thought, he didn't want to think that Luke had gone into that path. "Where have you been?"

"Everywhere, I even met a few people" Luke's voice sounded dazed and tired like he was about to collapse from exhaustion at any second. 

"Oh?" Ethan replied, gently starting to guide Luke towards the sidewalk. Ethan needed to get Luke to his house so Luke could get proper sleep.

"They are all dead now" Luke muttered. "Couldn't stop any of em' Eth. I was the oldest, I was supposed to-" Luke's voice cut off with a sob. His body collapsed onto the gravel below. "It was like a chain reaction. All started with Charlie- he was stupid, made something explosive and we found him dead. Then Silena, found her on the road, stabbed to death by some fuckers. Then, Castor, he was so sweet and he couldn't handle anything that was happening and I found him on the floor, bunch of pills everywhere

Ethan felt shocked, to say the least. All of this had been happening while Ethan was in school, worrying if he got a hundred on a test.

"Bianca was next, got ran over by a car, the body Eth" Luke's voice was full on hysterical. "Zoë got killed by dad, stupid drunk. Lee shot himself, there was so much blood, I couldn't even read the note. And Micheal, I don't even know, he just disappeared one day and never came back". 

"None of those were your fault" Ethan reassured gently, trying to get Luke off the ground. "You couldn't stop any of those things from happening".

Luke didn't respond. He got off the ground slowly and stared at Ethan. His gaze was empty and nothing like the Luke Ethan knew a year ago. "I am sorry, I don't want you to worry anymore" Ethan blinked in confusion. "I promise, I'll get better. Stop smoking and drinking and stay in Connecticut for more than a month".

"Will you enroll in high school?"

"That's pushing it".

Maybe Luke and Ethan wouldn't be polar opposites for long. 

* * *

Luke kept true to his promise, for 2 years. Ethan had "confessed" in the middle of the first year and Luke had smiled in joy. They started dating and eventually became "official". Luke had his episodes but he pushed through them with Ethan's help. Luke never did enroll in high school but he kept on working. Ethan was qualified to graduate early. Everything was perfect. And then it wasn't. 

Ethan could tell that Luke was starting to smoke and drink again. Ethan was pissed. He knew it was hard to break an addiction but it had been 2 years and Luke was doing fine. 

"What happened?!" Ethan shouted, Luke had almost wandered into traffic while drunk and if Ethan didn't show up in time..he didn't want to think of what would happen. "You were doing so well, did I do something?"

"Not at all, I just needed something to take the edge off. I saw everyone again Eth, I couldn't handle it" Luke's voice was small.

"Why didn't you tell me, you could have always come to me" Ethan pleaded. He hated arguing with Luke. "You promised, Luke".

"I know what I did Eth-".

"Don't call me that" Ethan said sharply. Luke's eyes were brimming with tears.

"What?"

"I said don't call me that" Ethan responded. "I guess I was wrong about you. I thought I could have the old Luke back, guess not".

"Ethan, I said I was sorry" Luke whimpered. 

"I know what you said, you don't fucking mean it though" Ethan snarled, "you said sorry to me so many times Luke. Remember? You kept on fucking running away and leaving me here, fucking terrified that my best friend might not come home".

After that, Luke stormed off. Ethan almost laughed, maybe Luke would run away again. Maybe that was what was best. Ethan forced himself to not text Luke, not to give in. Instead, he studied for his tests. 

Around 3 hours in, Ethan's phone buzzed. Ethan glanced at it lazily. 

**LUKE:**

I get it if you don't want to be with me anymore.

Just please, if you can, forget about me? Ignore these texts if that helps.

I am not worth caring about. I would just end up making you worry.

Ethan yawned, the severity of the situation not fully set at first. He considered calling Luke, to try and work things out. Ethan stared at the texts for 2 minutes and something clicked. Ethan had taken all of Luke's alcohol and cigarettes, Luke getting more means that Luke has been buying things...And that means Luke could have bought much more harmful things. 

Ethan bolted out of the house and frantically called Luke. No answer. Fucking bastard! Ethan checked the tracking app he had implemented on Luke's phone. Luke was reluctant to use it but quickly understood Ethan's reasons and allowed it. It was in the middle of nowhere, smartass. Ethan willed himself to calm down. It wasn't like he could call anyone. May wouldn't do shit, his mother could care less and his dad would just call the cops. Luke hated authority, or that's what Ethan concluded. Anyone telling Luke what to do could cause him to hate them. Luke refused to go to therapy because of it, saying " _I'll take care of it Eth"_.

"Well, that went great now didn't it dumbass?" Ethan muttered bitterly. It was a dangerous situation the one they were in. Ethan was stupid, high on emotions that he didn't realize what that argument could do to Luke's already fragile mental state. 

Ethan tried calling again only to be met with Luke's voicemail. " _Hey! Sorry if I couldn't come to the phone right now. I'll try to call back as soon as I can"._ Ethan sighed, remembering the argument more vividly than ever. All the words that Ethan didn't mean in the slightest.  _"I thought I could have the old Luke back"_ , what even was the old Luke? The Luke that actually cared about himself, even if it was a little bit of care? The Luke that helped Ethan study even if he didn't know the material? What Luke did Ethan want?

Luke could be anywhere right now, doing anything and Ethan can't do anything about it. 

* * *

 

Ethan found out where Luke was soon after. Richmond, Virginia. Ethan had dropped everything and drove as fast as he could to the location. Richmond had a bunch of apartment buildings but Ethan had a feeling he knew where Luke was.

Ethan found a run-down motel and asked the lady in the front for "Luke Castellan". The lady squinted at him for a second until she looked at her files. 

"Room 212".

Ethan quickly thanked her and ran up the stairs. The hallways had a horrid smell and Ethan already wanted to leave. He turned to Luke's apartment, and without even knocking, opened it. The entire room was trashed and Luke must have been responsible. "Luke? It's Ethan, can we talk this out?" He called out. 

Luke stumbled out of a small bathroom, looking like shit. His eyes widened a bit once he saw Ethan. "W-what are you-?".

"Luke please, I am sorry for what I said just come back home okay?" Ethan whispered, scared that if talked too loudly he would scare Luke off. "Just come back to Connecticut, you'll feel better once you do".

"Did you not get my texts?" Luke said, voice eerily flat. His blue eyes were glued to Ethan. 

"I can't just not care about you idiot. You're my best friend, did you forget that?".

"You should be studying right now" Luke's voice sounded a million miles away, "instead you're in another state asking for me to go back home".

Ethan nodded gently. He walked a bit closer to Luke, heart beating a million beats per second. "Did I really fuck up your life that badly?" Luke asked.

"You didn't fuck up anything Luke".

Luke gave out a bitter laugh. "Maybe if I hadn't met you, none of this would've happened". 

"Don't-".

"Shut up" Luke snapped. "What don't you get Eth? I asked you to forget about me, it's for your own good".

"My own good?" Ethan shouted, "Luke I can barely spend a day without you by me!".

Luke winced. "That's what I wanted to avoid. I promised myself that I wouldn't let you get attached to me". Ethan stared at Luke in confusion, can't they just forget everything and start over? "I knew that all of this was going to happen to me and I didn't want to ruin your life so I..", Luke's breathing started becoming haggard.

"Luke? What's wrong?"  

 "Eth, I'll come back tomorrow okay? Just give me some time" Luke choked out. Ethan was about to protest but Luke's eyes were pleading. "Please?".

Ethan's mind was screaming at him. That Luke wasn't stable enough to be left alone right now or that Luke is lying about coming back home tomorrow. Ethan ignored them. He wanted to believe that Luke would come home and they could work everything out again.

Ethan just wanted him and Luke to not be polar opposites anymore.

* * *

 

Ethan woke up the next morning and realized that he was an hour late for school. Which meant that his mom must not have been home. Ethan rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and forced himself to go downstairs.

Ethan saw a note on the dinner table:

_Hello Ethan,_

_You don't need to go to school today, your teachers will understand why. I am sorry that I cannot be there right now but we had an emergency at work, your father should be back enough. Luke, he was found dead in Richmond this morning. I was made aware that it was a suicide. Ethan, I am so sorry. I know how important he was to you, if you need to speak to anyone, don't hestitate to tell me or your father._

Ethan and Luke were still polar opposites: Ethan was alive and Luke wasn't. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to have a happy ending but I finished writing this after school and I wanted to write angst. This was also only supposed to be 1,000 words..that went well.


End file.
